![Learning Tour to the Philippines Learning Tour to the Philippines](https://www.cmu.ca/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?src=/uploaded/iStock_000014961709Medium_2955.jpg&w=900&h=1200&aoe=0&q=100&f=.jpg)
CMU will offer a study tour to the Philippines for students in the area of Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies but also relevant to students in International Development Studies, Geography, and Psychology. This tour experience will take a number of directions and will provide students with opportunities to explore the impact of development on local communities and the implications for peacebuilding, resilience, and social justice.
Dates: April 27 – May 12, 2017
The tour will include contexts providing exposure for students to the impacts of urban poverty in Manila, the role of indigenous people in the context of multi-national corporate plantations, fair trade coffee projects, and community development. These exposures will serve as bases for conversations around how conflict impacted communities reflect on zones of peace, resiliency, economic and community development, militarization, and human rights. Students will have the opportunity to experience village life and hear stories from conflict impacted people.
The Philippines is a vibrant and dynamic context that provides a rich environment for students concerned with peace, development, social justice, and creative alternatives to interact with front-line NGO partners undertaking efforts to make constructive contributions to their region.
Please let Wendy Kroeker (wkroeker
Tour Goals
- To expose students to the impacts of poverty, natural disasters, militarization, and community resilience
- To provide opportunity for students to explore creative approaches to peacebuilding and trauma recovery within the Philippine context
- To provide opportunities for experiential learning on community living through homestays and village visits
- To provide learning contexts about historical, political, and economic impacts on peacebuilding, development, and mental health through lectures and inputs from experts in the Philippines
The tour will end on Friday, May 12th in Davao City, Philippines. Students can fly back to Manila on May 13th to return home or go on to other places in Asia. Students also have the opportunity to stay on with the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute as volunteers (room and board provided) or take a course for CMU peace skills credit.
Each week spent at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute as a student or assisting on the administrative team will qualify for 1.5 peace skills credits (see Wendy Kroeker for more info on that).
Budget
NOTE: Cost estimates are based on 12 students. The rate may decrease with more students. The tour has space for a maximum of 15 students.
Specific details regarding fees will follow, but the following offers a current estimate:
- ?Tuition (3 credits): $723
- Flight: $900-$1,800
- On-site course costs: $1,500-2,000, depending on the number of students who take the course
Flights
All students must arrive in Manila by midnight on Thursday, May 27, 2017. Students will book their own tickets. Some students may elect to go earlier while others stay later to visit other Asian destinations. We will share information on seat sales on our Facebook page. Prices can range from $900 to $1,900 so getting a seat sale is important. Our contact in Dumaguete, Philippines can also assist in getting flights to other Asian destinations.
On-Site Costs
Tour organizers are working on the costs with the various organizations involved with the study tour. Philippine costs are quite low. For example, the Shalom Centre cost per night/person is $11. The current rate of exchange is about 36 pesos to $1 (CDN). A Coke will cost you no more than $0.50, while a bottle of water is approximately $0.25. We will be booking at group rates; in-country costs will be very reasonable.
Schedule (draft)
View the schedule here. Dates and specific details may be subject to change.